The present invention relates generally to a static weight energy production apparatus that converts the static weight of a load into rotational motion that can be used for mechanical power or to power a generator. Such systems are beneficial for environmental reasons as they use gravity as the source of energy to produce power, as opposed to conventional combustible fuels which are significantly more harmful to the environment.
More particularly, this invention pertains to an energy production apparatus that can uses the weight of heavier objects including but not limited to vehicles to produce energy. The prior art includes highway energy production systems that produce electrical energy as cars travel over a small ramp on the highway. However, the downward gravitational force of a passing car is minimal as the majority of the force of a traveling car is exerted in a forward direction. Thus these systems do not capture the significant gravitational potential energy of larger objects such cars or other vehicles. Additionally, these systems depend on cars continually passing over the ramp system to produce a continuous energy supply.
Other energy producing systems have harnessed the static weight of a load to produce energy. These systems include generators that are run as an object on a platform moves downward. These systems however, can only produce energy as the load is moving downward. There is significant energy loss that occurs during the start-up and slow-down of the generators each time a load is placed on the system and subsequently removed, where the generator is turning and consuming energy, but is not turning fast enough to produce electrical power. Thus, such systems are inefficient and unsatisfactory.
What is needed, then, are improvements in static weight energy production systems.